Rotary and reciprocating internal-combustion engine.



r 12.0. BRADFORD. ROTARY AND RECTPROCATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV` 27.1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

li full l n Aw...

R. D. BRADFORD.-

ROTARY A ND REclPRoCATING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27.19'14.

` Pateed Dec. 12, 1916.

. mmm@ a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R. D. BRADFORD.

ROTARY AND RECIPROCAIING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27| 1914.

Patented Dec. I2, IJIG.

3 SHEETS-.SHEET 3.

f Renner DANIEL ROTARY Application filed November 27, 1914.

To all whom t 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, ROBERT DANinL Bannronn, a subject of the King of Great Britain and vlreland, residing at 43 Lissenden Mansions, Highgate Road, London, England,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary and Reciprocating Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This my invention relates' to internal combustion motive power engines of the kind in which the pistons and the parts movable with them do not rotate but reciprocate and carry reciprocating rollers which engage helicoidal grooves in a cam-member caused to rotate by the pressure of the rollers upon the sides of the O`rooves and to serve as a power transmitting means or fly-wheel.

The special features of the invention comprise air-feeding hollow piston rods coperating with valved pistons to serve as admission and charging valves, cylinder' heads which serve as exhaust and scavenging valves, a rotary cam-member surrounding the cylinder and pistons vand having cam grooves which in addition to receiving the thrust of the pistons for causing the camlnember to rotate, also time the working of the engine in a n ew cycle.

ther features of novelty and utility will be apparent from the following description of an example 'of my invention.

Referringto the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a longitudinal section view of the engine. Fig. 2 is a. plan view, a part being removed. F ig. 3 is an end view of the engine seen from the right hand of Fig. l. Fig. A is an end view of the engine seen from the left hand of F ig. l. Fig. 5 a diagrammatic development of the helicoidal grooves of the cam-member. Fig. 6 is a central longitudinal section through a part of a modified construction et' engine ace-:ilrde ing to this invention and F ig. 7 is a sectional end view of the same.

Referring now to Figs. l to 5, the engine selected forv description and illustration by way ofexalnple of an embodiment of `this invention comprises a cam-member A rotatable on balls H and S about a cylinder'B. rlhe said cam-member A is, in fact, a reticu lated structure having ribs A1 intersecting and integral with helicoidal guides or ways or grooves' A2 and is provided with ballraees H1, S1 and also with a portion A1 for attachment say to the part to be driven, tor

BRADFORD, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

AND RECIPROCATING NTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec.. t2, Mlle.. serial no. 874,249.'

'example the drum 67 which may be used as a driving pulley. The cam-member Ar is mounted eccentrically about the cylinder B, being carried on ball-races H1, S2 carried by the eccentric ends C1, C2 of the stationary cylinder water-jaclret C. Projecting outwardly beyond the ball-races H2, S2 are screwed portions `of the said stationary wateisjaclret C1, C2 and these are utilized for attaching the engine to the vehicleor other body, to be propelled by it for example, yby means of collars 23 having lugs 2li, (Figs. 1. to 4,) for attachment say to the frame spars oil' an aeroplane. l jacket C and the cam-member A the piston guidebars G work in a guide G1 parallel to the cylinder axis, the said guide G1 being carried by the. eccentric water-jacket ends C1, C2 to which it is atlixed. See Figs. l, 3 and A. This guide G1 is carried in correspondingly shaped apertures of the eccentric ends and secured against longitudinal movement by means of a ring C3 at the right hand end which ring 'C3 is screwed to the end C2 and which has a depending lug CJ shaped to engage slots G2 cut in the sides ot' the said guide G1 at the top. In assembling the parts ot' the engine the ring C3 is first screwed ready to the position shown. The guide G1 is then inserted into position and the ring C3 rotated until the abutment portion of it engages the said slots place.

Each guidebar carries a compound roller N mounted on ball-bearings l 1 as shown in Fig. l and adapted to run in the helicoidal grooves A2 and by transmitting the force exerted. on the piston to the inclined sides of the said grooves A2 to cause the rotation of the cam-member A. @ne of the rollers N transmits pressure upon the grooves 'A2 inl one direction and theother roller N tra s nuts the pressure in the other direction. T e Journals supporting these ball bearings are turned eccentrically one to the other, while- The ring is then suitably secured in by Way of the valve at 56 hydraulic piston-leather, pressing in a fluid tight manner against the Wall of the pump barrel. To this end the said device comprises a thin corrugated conical cup 39 of 'metal preferably formed in one with, or attached to the plunger 27. The corrugated fcrn'lation of this device permits the enlargement of the open end during,` the pressure stroke so that its indented edge may make, with the pump barrel, a liquid tight joint, the elliciency of which increases With the pressure.

A compressed air reservoir 32 is provided for use in starting and is charged by the supply arriving by the passage When required for use the air confined in it is released by means of a handle 33 upon a spindle having an arm 31.1. which may be thus turned `to force the valve 35 from its seat. rlhe annulus L surrounding` the piston rod Q is ope-n to the combustion chamber except at the time when the piston is approaching the end of its' outer stroke. Then a collar or sleeve 3G fast on the piston rod closes .it and still further conilpresses the air within, al-A readyA compressec chiefly by the movement of the piston proceeding from the opposite end ot the cylinder. The facing ends of the collar 36 and the corresponding part of the exhaust box M are shown as having annular slitsor channels 37 and the said facing ends may be of serrated or undulating torni, as shown .in Figs. 6 and 7 to render the sides of the channels 37 expansible against the piston rod Q and the sleeve 38 of .the cover J.

ldlater is circulated between the jacket C and the cylinder B by means of they pump Y, (shown in dctail'in Fig. l) the barrel of which is secured to the end C2 of the water jacket C. The ram 46 is driven from the star Wheel T1 the shaft of which is furnished with a Worm 47 (see Figs. land 3) meshing with a Worm-Wheel W the shaft of which is carried by a bearing 4:9, and has fast at its other end a pinion 50 in gear with a spur X the shaft of which is also journaled in the bearing- 49 and which has a crank pin 52 Working in a dog' link 58 at the outer end oi the ram 46. The inner end ot' the ram 46 is furnished with a device similar in principle to that described for pumping fuel, but modifiedbein'g corrugated so as to 'alloiv the expansion of an4 extended periphery by the pressure of the liquid being puiiiped; rlhe cooling water from the radi-- ati or the like enters the barrel d5, Fig. l, and is `expelled past the valve at 57 through the elbow 58 into the space between the cylinder and the Water Iiacket C, cooler by way oli' the outlet at the other end engine is effected supply pump P. flee pump ist'urnished with The lubrication of the by means of the oil l and This and is raised as thence returning to the.

a shank 60 adapted to be screwed into the eccentric end C2 of the Water jacket C and is operated by means of the mechanism employed to drive the Water pump l@ the part 54 of- Whicli has a lug 6l to which the outer end of the pump ram 62 is attached. At

each reciprocation of the ram G2 oil is drawn 1nto the barrel G3 past the check valve at G-l and expelled by way of valve at 65 and pipe 6G into the trouglrshaped guide G1. between the inner ends of the guide-bars G. Each time that the pistons, and consequently the guide-bars G, meet, the oil between the lat ter is squirted upward from between them against the inner surface of the rotating drum 67 and, owing to the speed of rotation of the said casing, is evenly spreachby centrifugal force asa layer-around the said inner surface so that scoops G8, 68 (see Figs. l to l) carried by the guide G, skim oil' oil from the said layer and conduct it to the guide Gr again, but to peints where the outer ends of the guide-bars (l take it and force it out ward to the ends of the said guide (ll llerc it is conducted ,downward by chutes (il), 69, which deliver it in the path of the air within the hollow piston rods Q at the outer end ef each stroke as indicated in Fig. l. Uil is thus taken together with the air used for combustion and distril'iuted over all the internal Working surfaces. The oil, which en lters the guide G1 between the vguide-bars G above described 'over the said guide-bars each time they nearly meet, twice ina revolution, in spreading over the inside of the drum 67 is intercepted by parts of the ribs of the cam-member A (see Fig: l) to lubricate the. rollers N and ball-bearings N1,S1,S2,'and H1, @il from the drum 67 also enters the spaces into which the starwheels T, T1 protrude and, creeping along the teeth 22 lubricates the said star Wheels T, T1, and thence creeping to the helical gear 47 (see Fig. 3)`is transmitted by it to the pinion W and by the intermediate gearing to 'the dog-link 53 and crank 52. Oil also creeps alongthe plunger L6 te Iubricate it. @il from the starwvheels T, T1 also passes to the crank-pin 18 (see Fig. l) which actuates the scavenger valve dog-link 17 and thence along the guide-rod 14 to which the said dog-*link 17 is attached and the U-shaped part 16 to the other rods 14.

rlhe mode oi operation is as follows: Supposing air and fuel to be exploded in the space between the movable cover J and piston body D at the left-hand end 0i the cylinder the piston is forced inward drawing with it the hollow rod Q and guide bar G and compressing a charge of air previously drawn in. between the pistons. During; thisstroke the roller N, being 'forced in a direction parallel tothe axis of the cam-l member A., presses against one side of the greove A and so causes the cammemben to rotate. rlhis stroke is made when the lette.

hand roller N is in that part oi' the groove between the points 8 and 9, shown in the development of the grooves, Fig. o. During the first part of this stroke of the lefthand piston, the right-hand piston roller N was moving in that portion of its groove A2 between 10 and l1 when the air conn pressed by the explosion stroke of the lefthand piston was being forced aroundvthe flexible edge El of the right-hand piston into the combustion chamber there, and dur- .ing the latter part of the stroke of the right-hand combustion chamber.

.has been stationary throughout the last mentioned stroke, is drivenoutward by the explosion in its combustion chamber. burnt gases arev expelled during the exhaust stroke from the outward' side of the left hand piston around the edge ot' the cover J, which is pushed inward against the piston, at the endet the stroke, by the starwheel T, turned by the teeth 22 to allow this (see F ig. 4). When the cover J has moved inward 'quite to the piston, all the vexplosion chamber, as shown in Fig. l beiso tween the piston and the said cover J, is

open to the exhaust boXll/l, and scavenging is complete. The cover is then retracted to its seat by the further rotation of the star-wheel T. While thisA exhaust takes place a fresh charge of air is being sucked in through the hollow rod of the left-hand piston, the space E in the seid piston, past the edge of the diaphragm=` D, into he cylinder between the pistons. The iaphragm. lags owing to its inertia, sliding on the screws at' E2, E2 so that narrow pas sages are provided between it and the inner end of the l'ioll'o'w rod Q and between its rim and thepiston. Or the diaphragm may bend inwardat itsy center about the screws at E2, E2. ln the hitte:A case the rim o the diaphragm `does not iit the piston tightly. During the movement in'vrrd vof the left-hand piston corresponding with l0 to l1 the right hand piston compresses the charge of air within the space between the pistons, its travel corresponding with that part of its groove marked 8 to 9 (its eziplosion stroke), this stroke being made partly while the left hand piston is moving inward to ineet the right hand piston benooners tween the points 10 and l1, and while scavv enging, due to the movement of the cover J, takes place and the compressed charge between the pistons iows around the plate D of the left hand pistonopens the flexible edge El 'of thisrrpiston and occupies the space between it and the cover J. Nhen thj cover Jvhas been retracted/by the star-wheelfv T, at pointll, the pistons move together at.. the same speed to the point 12 for the left hand piston and to lpoint 9 for the rightv hand piston, and the lcharge isstill further compressed within they left hand combus- 'tion chamber. The right-hand piston now makes its exhaustk stroke while the left-'- hand piston remains relatively stationary` the left hand groove moving relatively t'. its roller from 12 to 8. When the roller ofthe left hand piston arrivesatfpoint 8v ig-gf-H nition is caused to take plaeejin ythe follow#v Se with the heated piston and lcylinder parts and cover J it now becomes suliciently h-'eated by compression in the annular space L to effect the ignition of the charge. For this purpose it is led Jfrom the said space L by way of passage 8 (ses Fig. 1, right-hand end) above the ball valve 2. AtY this time the valve 2 is being raisedfrom its seat by a jet of petrol forced through passage 7 by the pump l'. and the highly heated air, {iows ing around the ball valve 2 vaporizes the petrol. issuing intothe annulus 5 and fiows with it through passage@ to the explosion chamber between the piston D and the cover J, where a charge of compressed air is ready to burn it effectively. The operation then begins anew. At each outward stroke, fresh air is sucked tirough the hollow piston rod Q, entering the cylinder by way of the chamber E between the piston body D2 and the flexible face plate D and between the latter and the flexible margin E1 of the iston the said plate D acting as a valve and eing movable, either by bending or'sliding relatively to the former, upon screws E, and opening inwardly only.

Claims: y v

l. )ln'an internalv combustion engine, in combination, a stationary cylinder,`a. pair of pistons adapted to vreciprocate therein, hollow piston rods on said pistons, a cam roller carried by each piston rod, a cam-member adapted to rotate about said stationary cylinder, means for supporting said cammember, a. pair of cam-grooves in said cammember adapted to engage the cam-rollers leo combination,

Lect/,see

each cam groove comprising successively a forward helical part of proportional axial length l2, a return helical part of proportional axial length 1l, a forward helical part of proportional axial length l, a re'turn helical part ot' proportional axial length 2, a cylindrical part connecting the tirst of said helical parts and the .last of said helical parts, and means for operating' the said pistons, substantially as described.

2. ln an internal combustion engine, in combination a stationary cylinder, a pair of pistons adapted to reciprocate therein, piston rods on said pistons, axial passages through said pistons and piston rods, nonreturn 'valves opening said passages on the plane sides ot' the piston, side to side passages leading from the plane sides of the pistons to the rod sides thereof, non-return valves opening said side to side passages to the rod sides of said pistons, cam-rollers carried by said pistons and piston rods, a cam-member adapted to rotate about said stationary cylinder, a pair of irregular zigzag cam grooves in said cam-member adapted to engage said vcam-rollers, means for supporting said cam-member and means for ope 1ating the said pistons, substantially as described. manan internal combustion engine, in combination, a stationary cylinder, a pair 0 of'pis'tons having inclined corrugated rodperipheral portions adapted to reciprocate therein, piston rods on said pistons, axial` passages through said pistons and piston Viods, inwardly opening non-return valves controlling said axial passages, passagesleading from the plane sides of the piston to the rod sides thereof and controlled by the corrugated peripheral piston portions, a cam-member adapted to rotate about said stationary cylinder, a pair of irregular zig-zag cam grooves in said cammember adapted to engage said cam-rollers, means for supporting said cam-member and means for operating said pistons, substantially as described.

In an internal combustion engine, in a stationary cylinder, a pair of pistons adapted to reciprocate therein, piston rods on saidr pistons7 axial passages through said pistons and piston rods, nonreturn Valves opening 4said passages on the plane side .of the pistons, annular passages leading from the plane sides ot the piston to the rod sides thereof, annular non-return `valves opening said annular passages to the rod sides oi said pistons, Cain-rollers carried by said piston rods, a cam-member adapted to rotate about said stationary cylinder, a. pair of irregular zig-zag 4cam-grecves in said cam-member adapted to engage the said cam-rollers, means for supporting the said cani-member and means for operating the said pistons, substantially as described.

the shafts, a pair -ciprocate in said 5. In an internal combustion engine, in combination, a stationary cylinder, movable cylinder heads therein, seats in said cylinder for said cylinder heads, a pair of pistons adapted to work in said cylinders, hollow piston rods on said pistons, cani-rollers carried by the piston-rods, a cam-member adapted to rotate about the said stationary cylinder, al pairof irregular zig-zag camgi'ooves in said 'cam-member adapted to engage said cam-rollers, internal teeth on said cani-member gage means for opening and closing said cylinder heads at each end of the cylinder alternately, means for supporting said cammelnber and means for operating said pistons, substantially as described.

G. ln an internal combustion engine, in combination, a stationary cylinder, inwardly opening cylinder heads and guiding means for said heads therein, seats in said cylinder for said heads, dog-links carried by said heads, shafts having crank-pins adapted to work in said dog-links, star-wheels on said shafts, a pair of pistons adapted to reciprocate in said cylinders, hollow piston rods on said pistons, cam-rollers carried by said piston-rods, cam-member adapted to rotate about said cylinder, a pair of irregular zig-zag cam-grooves in said cam-meinber adapted to engage said cam-rollers, internal teeth, on said cam-member adapted to intermittently engage the said star-wheels, means for supporting said cam-member and means for operating said pistons, substantially as described. l

7. in an internal combustion engine, in combination,

a stationary cylinder, rotat- .ing elliptical cylinder heads therein, seats having elliptical apertures in said cylinders for said elliptical heads, shafts for carrying' said elliptical heads, helical `teeth on said shafts, transverse shafts having teeth adapted to mesh with said helical teeth and having also star-Wheels, means for supporting of pistons adapted to recylinder, hollow piston rods on said pistons, cam-rollers carried by said piston-rods a cam-member adapted to rotate about said cylinder, a pair of irregular zig-Zag cam-grooves in said cam-member adapted to engage said cam-rollers, internal teeth onl said cam-members adapted to intermittently engage the said s,r- Wheels, means for supporting the said 'cammember tons, substantially as described.

S. in an internal combustion engine in combination, a stationary cylinder, heads to said cylinder, a pair of pistons adapted to reciprocate in said cylinder, hollow piston rods on said pistons, cam-rollerscarried by said liollon7 piston rods, means for coinpressing gas Within each end ot' said cylinder, a stationary annularly grooved expandadapted to intermittently en and means tor operating' said pis-1 iic ling sleeve surrounding each piston rod, an

-anniilarly grooved expanding sleeve secured to each piston rod, With its groove facing the groove of the stationary sleeve, a sleeve affixed to each cylinder head and surrounding one of said stationary sleeves and a pistonsleeve at the outer end of each piston stroke, a passage connecting the annular grooije in a stationary sleeve with an inlet to a gas carbiiieting means, a passage connecting an outlet for carbureted gas from said gas oarbureting means with the interior ci one end of the said cylinder, a cam-niember adapted to rotate about said cylinder,

means for supporting said cam-member, ir-

regular zig-zag cani grooves in said coininember adapted to engage said cam-rollers and means for operating 'said pistons, substantially as described.

9. In an internal combustion engine, in combination, a stationary cylinder, a pair of pistons adapted to reciprocate in said cylinder, hollow piston rods on said pistons, oam-rollers carried by said hollow piston rods, means for compressing gas Within each end of the cylinder', means for more highlyl compressing gas fromy the cylinder ends,a storage chamber, a deliii'ery passage yfor conducting gas from thel said means for I more highly compressing ga,` to an inlet toV a carburetiiig means and al; to a passage opening to said storage chai beige manuallyopening clieclevalve a apted to nor- Vmally close the said passage,openiiig to the storage chamber, a passage@` connecting an outlet from said oarbiireting means with the space Within one end of the cylinder, a cammember adapted to rot-pte about said cylinder, means for supporting said camkmember, a pair of irregular zig-zag Caingrooves in said cam-member adapted to engage said cam-rollers and means for operating said pistons, substantially as described.

l0. n an internal combustion engine, in combination, a. stationary cylinder, apair of pistons adapted to work therein, means for operating the said pistons, hollow pis- -ton rods on said pistons, cani-rollers carried cama-Oilers carried by each of said ),iiston rods, each cam-roller of a pair boing mounted on a iournal that is eccentric to the other journal of the pair, a cam-member adapted to rotate about said cylinder, means for siipporting said cam-niember and irregular Zig- Zag cain-grooves in said cain-iiieinber each adapted to engage one of said pairs of cainrollers, substantially as described.

12. In an internal combustion engine` in combination, a stationary cylinder, a pair oit pistons adapted to reciprocate tlierein,a

hollow piston rod on each of said pistons, means ,for operating thepistons, a com roller barried by each piston-rod, a caniineinbei" adapted to rotate about said cylin der means for supporting said cani-niember and irifegiilar zig-ag cam-grooves in said Cain-member eacli adapted to engage acam-4 roller sind each having a laterally adjustable sectionI substantially as described.

In testimony whereof ll affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

Bonsai* DANIEL Bniinroiin.

Vtitnesses:

ALFRED NUTTiNG, W. E, Roanne. 

